Best of Arlington 2015

Editors’ Pick

Best Home Run:

Arlington’s 100 Homes Campaign

Fewer people will be living on the streets of Arlington this winter, thanks to the county’s 100 Homes Campaign, which in October reached its goal of housing 100 homeless local residents. To reach this goal, teams of nonprofit volunteers and county workers combed Arlington’s neighborhoods to identify and assist at-risk individuals. One such person had previously lived on the street for 27 years.

Though a May “point-in-time” survey indicated that Arlington’s homeless rate has dropped 39 percent since 2010, Kathy Sibert, president and CEO of A-SPAN (formerly the Arlington Street People’s Assistance Network), stresses that putting a roof over someone’s head is often just the first step. Companion programs that help formerly homeless residents find and keep jobs, receive mental health and substance abuse counseling, and learn how to better manage their personal finances are equally critical to long-term stability. At press time, the county’s new Homeless Services Center was slated to open in April 2015 at 2020 14th St. North in Courthouse.